"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend"

       ~ Proverbs 27:17


A common method to sharpen steel or iron...

Is to use a similar piece of metal

When the two scrape against each other...

Both pieces are shaped and rough spots are removed

Similarly...

Two people can interact and help refine each other

Other proverbs note the importance of hearing other people's views

(~ Proverbs 11:14; 18:17; 27:9)

Of particular importance is that this lesson implies a constructive level of conflict...

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful"

~ Proverbs 27:6 !!!

Fellow believers who never challenge or question one another are liable to remain dull

Numerous biblical examples show the learning value...



(Part 2 continues below👇)

( Part 2 continues...)



Numerous biblical examples show the learning value present in relationships

Jesus may have sent His disciples out two by two because each one would sharpen the other's testimony

Mentoring is also a good example of one Christian improving the spiritual life of the other

The apostle Paul mentored the younger Timothy

Furthermore...

He encouraged Timothy to mentor others

He writes in
~ 2 Timothy 2:2

"What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also"

David and Jonathan are a good example of two men who improved each other's lives

Friendship can help two people enjoy a stronger faith and a buoyant spirit

Friends can...

* Encourage each other
* Laugh together
* Sympathize together
* And Pray together

It is crucially important to carefully choose who we

"BRUSH UP AGAINST"

A Good Friend Can Lead Us to Self-Improvement and Greater godliness

(~Proverbs 12:5; 15:22; 17:17)

Ungodly People Are Likely to Lead Us Towards Sin and Disaster

~Proverbs 13:20;
22:24–25
23:20




My Prayer...



Heavenly Father,

I thank You for the gift of friendship

And the people You have placed in my life

Your Word says that

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend"

Lord,

I pray that You bring godly, wise, and strengthening people into my life

Who will help sharpen my character, my faith, and my focus

Forgive me for times I have isolated myself

Or overlooked the value of others

Give me the grace to be a good friend

One who encourages, supports, and speaks truth in love to others

Helping them grow

May my words and actions bring out the best in those around me

Acting as iron sharpening iron

Help us to grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient together

That we may bring glory to Your name

And closer to You

In Jesus' name

Amen


❤️🙏❤️

🛡⚔️🛡



Have A Blessed Day My Friend

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄...
1/2

2/2
𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 — 𝑬𝑵𝑶𝑪𝑯 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑷𝑨𝑼𝑳 𝑩𝑶𝑻𝑯 𝑫𝑬𝑺𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑩𝑬 𝑴𝑨𝑵𝒀 𝑳𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑳𝑺

Modern culture imagines heaven as vague light and floating spirits, but ancient Jewish thought painted something far more ordered. The Book of Enoch describes multiple heavens, guarded gates, and ranks of angels, presenting the spiritual realm as structured rather than abstract. While Enoch is not part of the biblical canon for most Christians, its worldview reveals how many Jews in the Second Temple period understood the unseen world. And then something striking happens. The apostle Paul echoes a similar idea when he speaks of being caught up to the “third heaven” in 2 Corinthians 12:2, suggesting layered reality rather than a single undefined afterlife.

This idea unsettles people because it confronts a simplified version of heaven. Enoch’s writings describe watchers, gates of fire, and angelic hierarchies guarding different realms. Whether one accepts every detail or reads it as apocalyptic imagery, the central message is clear: heaven is ordered. It is governed. It reflects divine authority, not spiritual chaos. Paul does not quote Enoch directly, but his language shows that early Christians were not strangers to the concept of multiple heavenly realms. When Paul mentions the third heaven, he assumes his audience understands the idea of ascending levels within God’s creation.

Scripture itself consistently presents heaven as structured. Isaiah 6 describes seraphim surrounding God’s throne. Daniel 7 portrays a court in session with countless angelic beings. Revelation later shows elders, living creatures, and ranks of worshippers arranged around the throne. The biblical narrative never portrays heaven as random. It presents a kingdom with order, roles, and purpose. Enoch’s visions amplify that same theme through dramatic imagery of gates and cosmic boundaries.

The controversy comes when people confuse structure with hierarchy of worth. The point of heavenly levels is not spiritual elitism. It is divine order. God’s kingdom is not a vague spiritual haze where everything blends together. It is a realm where authority flows from God outward, where angels serve, and where holiness is guarded. That is why Enoch repeatedly describes gates. Gates symbolize access, responsibility, and reverence. Not everyone walks casually into the presence of the Most High.

Paul’s experience in the third heaven also challenges modern assumptions about spirituality. He does not boast about it. He calls it unspeakable and humbling. That stands in sharp contrast to today’s fascination with mystical experiences. The early church understood that heavenly visions were not status symbols. They were reminders of God’s holiness and human limitation.

The real tension lies here: many people prefer a vague heaven because it feels less demanding. A structured heaven implies authority, obedience, and order even beyond death. It suggests that eternity is not an escape from responsibility but the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. Enoch’s imagery and Paul’s testimony both push against the modern idea that heaven is whatever we imagine it to be. Instead, they reveal a reality shaped entirely by God’s design.

Whether one reads Enoch as historical vision, symbolic apocalypse, or cultural backdrop, the shared thread remains undeniable. Heaven in biblical thought is not empty space. It is a kingdom with gates, ranks, and purpose. And that truth forces a difficult question: are we prepared for a heaven ruled by God’s order, or do we secretly want a heaven shaped by our comfort?

𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓙𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓽
𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕀𝕟 ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕁𝕖𝕤𝕦𝕤 ✝️🍃🕊
#BookOfEnoch #Heaven #BiblicalTruth

Are You Experiencing The Peace Of God?



God wants you to step up to the plate !

Bᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs, ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴏᴜʀsᴇʟᴠᴇs – which points to Matthew 7:5 and Luke 6:42 in God's Word.

Matthew 7:5 | KJB:
"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

Luke 6:42 | KJB:
"Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye."

Which brings me to Luke 6:43: "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
And Luke 6:44: "For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes."

Tuesday – February 17, 2026
𝓢𝓸𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓝𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓪

° ᵗᵃᵖ ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ⁱᵐᵃᵍᵉ ᵗᵒ ˢᵉᵉ ⁱᵗ ⁱⁿ ᶠᵘˡˡ °

You Can Do As Jesus Did!

"How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; And those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."

~ Psalm 13:1-6


In this lament psalm by David that maps a journey from deep despair to praise

Illustrating how to process pain through honest prayer

It is structured into three parts:

Desperate questioning

("How long")

Earnest prayer for illumination

And a final

Trusting commitment

To rejoice in God's salvation

Despite ongoing & unresolved circumstances

David asks "How long" four times

A feeling of prolonged, forgotten suffering

And abandonment by God

He expresses sorrow in his heart

And the fear that his enemy will triumph over him

Showing his internal, emotional struggle

David asks God to "consider" and "hear" him

He prays...

"Lighten mine eyes"

Which is a request for God to renew his perspective, strength, and hope

So he does not fall into death or despair

Despite no immediate change in his situation...

David declares his trust in God's

"mercy" (unfailing love)

He moves from sorrow to rejoicing in God's salvation

He concludes with a vow to sing to the Lord

Recognizing that God has dealt bountifully with him

Transforming his fear into a song of victory





Sometimes we like David

Find ourselves living in the agony of the silence of God

We come before God and all we seem to have are unanswered questions

It is important that we acknowledge the reality and depth of such experiences

Indeed...

One of the chief ways that the psalms serve as a means of grace to us...

Is by giving voice to the full range of what we experience in relationship with God

Sometimes our prayers are not answered in ways that we understand or can see

Some of our prayers go unanswered for many agonizing years as we learn to lean into God

And journey through a kind of habitat of waiting

The important lesson from

~ Psalm 13

Is to never forget in your times of darkness...

What God has revealed in the times of light

The psalmist...

Even in the depth of God’s silence...

Puts his trust in God’s

“unfailing love”

In the midst of unanswered questions...

The psalmist declares...

“my heart rejoices in your salvation”

He even chooses to...

“sing to the Lord”

Because he remembers God’s past faithfulness...

“he has been good to me”

His circumstances have not changed

His inner emotional state may still be in turmoil

His prayers may yet remain unanswered

Yet...

He remembers and he trusts

And that in itself begins to transform us and reorient us

We also recognize that this psalm could only anticipate what we now know in full...

Namely...

That Christ himself has entered into this liminal space between the silence of God

And the full joy of divine resolution

Indeed...

This psalm points us to the agony of Christ himself

In the garden of Gethsemane

Who had to trust God’s faithfulness...

Even in the midst of God’s silence

In the agony of the garden...

It was difficult for Jesus Christ to capture a sense of the glory that would unfold in a few short days...

In the wake of the empty tomb and his glorious resurrection



Christians must cultivate holy memories of God’s work in history

And in our lives

Which alone can sustain us in the times of despair and darkness

Christ’s obedience to go to the cross was made possible through just such holy memories

Likewise...

God will also bring us...

From the question marks of life

To the great exclamation marks of his sure action

Prayer...

Father I thank you for grace of life and this day

Lord have mercy on us and forgive all our sins

Lord Jesus our faith looks up to you

Who is the author and finisher of our faith

See us through this stage of our lives

Do not forget us oh Lord

Father whatever we have done

Or we are doing that is causing our prayers not to be heard

Forgive us Lord and hear our cry

Father

I know you see struggles we have

Lord give us rest from unfruitful labour

Replace our labour with divine favour

Father scatter the plans of our enemies

And let there be an end to them

Having an upper hand over our situations

Father I trust in your power

Give us victory over all our enemies plans

Father cause us to rejoice and give us a new song

Erase sorrow from our lives

Lord let us find you as we seek you today

Let our fear for you grow more

So we can live a life that please you

Father cause us to sing a new song

Let our testimonies come and be permanent

Heavenly Lord turn our mourning into dancing

Wipe any tears away

Thank you Jesus for answered prayers

In your name I pray

Amen

🙏

A Time for War

The virtue of those who actively work to create peace

Such individuals reflect God's nature

And are recognized as His children

Through their actions of harmony

And reconciliation


HAVE A PEACEFUL DAY

Jesus Declares...

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me"

~ John 14:6

The exclusive nature of salvation through Christ

THERE IS NO OTHER OPTIONS

God's wonderful work 🤩👆🏽
Mangrove forests

DEMONS are MORE Scary Than You Thought | Rob Skiba 😨

What are demons ?

Did God create them ?

Are they the same as fallen angels ?

How do they relate to the Nephilim ?

What is their role in this world ?

People have been creating stories and asking questions about these nefarious creatures since the beginning of time

In this video we are attempting to answer those questions